tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21559206071889022662024-03-21T18:14:25.252-07:00Writing A Novel by Mark WakelyTips, techniques, theories, and applications for your authoring journey. This is not a publishing industry watchdog blog, but an introspective look at what it takes to create a manuscript a publisher will want to publish. No hard and fast rules, and no correct ways and wrong ways, only a collection of loosely connected entries about what worked for me and what failed miserably. Join the fun. Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-53803859114012307052019-12-04T09:36:00.000-08:002020-02-01T17:51:23.757-08:00True Motivation: Writing What You Care About<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finding- and staying- motivated to write doesn’t have to be
difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a number of tips
and tricks that work, but easily the most important is writing something so
compelling, so important to you that you're motivated day after
day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let’s go back to something I
mentioned in my previous post regarding those wanna-be novelists who read
exactly one blockbuster book then try to write a similar novel just to grab
some of the cash and fame, only to discover that their pale imitations can’t even find a publisher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now writing with the
expectation of hitting it big and selling a million copies of your book isn’t
bad motivation in and of itself, but if all you’re looking for are huge royalty
checks, your emphasis is on the wrong thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those writers who jump on the hot and trendy genres before those trends
fade away without caring much about what they’re writing have the hardest job
of all- creating something that doesn’t speak to their hearts and souls, that
has little meaning to them beyond the potential to pad their bank accounts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That’s tough, dreary sledding, one that requires grit and
determination to get through because greed can only get you so far. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Worst of all, astute readers will know instantly that the
authors of those hastily written books didn’t have a vested interest in the
story, had only tried to satisfy the basic requirements of the trend, the barest
minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mundane plot populated by
caricatures rather than characters isn’t lasting literature, it’s fast-food
filling at best, not a five-star meal you’ll always remember. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now some writers can’t help but elevate their stories beyond mere imitation by creating well-rounded, fascinating characters with intriguing troubles, but that requires extra time and effort, and that could mean missing the
trendy bandwagon and finding that nobody wants your manuscript because that
ship had sailed; you missed the boat. Usually the trendy genres start with
a novel that has something unique, a twist or unexpected element rarely (if
ever) seen before, written with care by caring authors because there is no
bandwagon yet, nor were those authors trying to start one rolling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no ticking clock, no countdown to obsolescence,
so they gave their novels all the time and effort needed to make them
top-notch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone wrote that first dystopian
young adult novel, someone else wrote that first vampire love story, and did so
because they felt compelled; they were genuinely interested in their stories,
not just the potential paychecks down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Imitation novels tend to trend downward in quality as they
flood the market, with only a handful equal to the originals in depth of characters
and plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest were written in haste
just to ride the coattails, grab a handful of left-over dollars while the
grabbing is good and it shows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That’s not just tough sledding, it’s soul-sapping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If, on the other hand, you ignore what’s trendy and focus on
writing about characters you care about, who speak to you and demand their
stories be told, something amazing will happen; it won’t be hard at all to stay motivated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now there’s always that “moment
of ugh” when you sit down to pick up where you left off in your novel, but how
long that “ugh” lasts depends on how compelling your story is to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you don’t have to be obsessed to the point that you can’t eat or sleep until your novel's finished (that’s
happened to writers and it’s not pleasant), having <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the story itself </i>be your motivation will go a long way to making
your writing less arduous, and at the end you’re far more likely to have
written something publishers need and want.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next time: those tips and tricks to overcome that “ugh” moment
when you sit down to write. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-39816101606272261782019-11-27T12:11:00.000-08:002020-02-01T17:51:17.046-08:00Plotter or Pantser?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qR6yujGfoHyHntTxNALkOtR50Kn052mf6Z7gngvZLUcZwGwRJujhXZk143hPTnvjVXTLdx41RnPmpjlWJXB1MYirOPnHEp4Lg1SPqHRP_U8bsZkCzgoo1omgXkiI5yc2nlFsCQ8j5dg/s1600/323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qR6yujGfoHyHntTxNALkOtR50Kn052mf6Z7gngvZLUcZwGwRJujhXZk143hPTnvjVXTLdx41RnPmpjlWJXB1MYirOPnHEp4Lg1SPqHRP_U8bsZkCzgoo1omgXkiI5yc2nlFsCQ8j5dg/s200/323.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m a plotter when it comes to writing novels, and wrote a detailed,
single-spaced outline of <em>An Audience for Einstein</em> before starting chapter one.
The same was true of my two earlier novels. Since “to plot or not?” is an
important consideration for novelists, I thought I’d discuss the pros and cons
of both approaches.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, pantser- as in
flying by the seat of- is the name given to those bold writers who start with
the proverbial blank sheet of paper and merrily begin typing or dictating their novels with-
supposedly- only a vague idea of where the long, winding writing road will take
them. I
take the boastful claims by those pantsers who swear they had no idea what they were about to write with a grain of salt and you should to. Here’s why.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plots have an inherent structure that vary by the type of
novel you’re writing. There are the coming-of age novels, the hero’s quest
novels, the self-discovery novels (usually involving an epiphany of some kind)
and many others I’ll discuss in future posts. There are also significant structural
differences between genres- hard-boiled detective mysteries are different from
the Harlequin-style romances, which are different from cyberpunk novels, etc.,
although there are intriguing “hybrids” that successfully blend genres. (I’ll
discuss why it’s probably a bad idea to start your career as a hybrid novelist in
a future post, particularly if you’re expecting great and immediate commercial
success.) Each type of novel has its requirements that must be realized for
that novel to be categorized as that particular type. Stray too far from those requirements
and your novel will lose its label. It’s important for
readers to know what kind of novel an author has written since readers have
their likes and dislikes and gravitate to those novels that check all their “like”
boxes. Sally loves romances but hates science fiction; Bob loves mysteries but
hates romances. The same is true of writers. For example, I will
never, ever read or try to write a 600 page historical romance set in
Victorian-era England. Ever. For other novelists, historical romance novels are all
they read and write.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, back to the boastful claim by the pantsers that they
had “no idea” what kind of novel they were writing. I don’t believe that to be
quite true because of their own inevitable literary likes and dislikes. Name a pantser’s
favorite genre or type, and the odds are enormous that’s exactly what’s going
to appear as their blank pages begin to fill up with prose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whether they admit it or not, there are two other reasons to believe that pantsers actually
have a good idea what they’re going to write before they start writing, beyond
their own literary genre prejudices. Familiarity and comfort zone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’re favorite genre is romance, you’ve probably read
all the major romance authors, maybe went to a romance novel convention or two, and have your own opinion of what a good romance novel should constitute.
That familiarity can’t help but spark your imagination in the genre that so
intrigues you. Undoubtedly you know that to write good fiction, you need to
read good fiction; you can’t operate in a literary vacuum, and by reading as
much as you can (particularly but not exclusively in your chosen genre) you’ll
be surprised at how many plot ideas occur to you, plots formed from the
totality of all you’ve read yet original rather than derivative. (It’s the wanna-be
novelists who read just one novel- usually a blockbuster- and want to duplicate
that success for themselves who write the derivative books, ones that are mere
shadows of the original and hopelessly unpublishable.) As for comfort zone, if
you’ve never read a mystery novel, you’re well aware you have no idea what those
plot requirements are, or even how to begin writing one without leaning heavily
on all the old, worn-out plot clichés, which of course you’d never do. That
genre’s just not in your comfort zone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All that further narrows down what’s going to appear on the
page as the pantsers write their novels.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, do pantsers actually plot their novels in their heads?
In a word, yes. What I believe successful pantsers have in common is the
ability to gather all the elements needed for a novel in their subconscious minds
and let those elements grow and connect, bubble up and expand until there comes
a point they just know they’re ready to sit down and let it spill out on the
page. It won’t be perfect, that first draft (none are, really) but in the end
what they’ll have can keep the momentum going.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s a fairly rare ability to form and hold a novel all in
your head, but I would compare successful pantsers to the best chess players,
who can see in their mind’s eyes the myriad counter-moves an opponent might
make as they contemplate the next move of their own. It’s that ability to see
far down the road, consider the possibilities and select the best choices that
makes winging it possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few pitfalls, though. I suspect those pantser first drafts
have multiple holes in their plots, the sequence of events somewhat skewed and not
all the characters quite flesh and blood. Some of those drafts are probably
short, too, less than average length for the genre they’re writing. But
all that’s fixable in subsequent drafts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Does that mean if you think you can do it, winging it is the
way to go if you’re itching to start your novel? Possibly not.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For some novelists, there are advantages to having an
outline, a roadmap to follow. One is the solid reassurance- right before your
eyes- that yes, I can write this novel because here it is, spelled out
from beginning to end and everything makes perfect sense. No plot holes, the
timeline’s clear and the ending wraps everything up nicely with no loose threads.
Those novelists are the type who can’t say “surprise me!” like the pantsers
when the next chapter is looming and it’s not all that clear what comes next.
Some writers thrive on that kind plot ambiguity in an adrenaline-pumping sort
of way, take it as an exciting challenge to overcome; others freeze up and can’t
write another word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps it’s a combination of both confidence and daring as
to whether winging it is right for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another advantage to having a written, detailed outline
before you begin: your first draft will probably be pretty darn good, or at
least as good as your outline. Most likely that means fewer subsequent drafts will be needed to make your novel publisher presentable. No sudden realization that whole scenes or
chapters need to be cut or created, or that a subplot you thought was a great
idea detracts from the novel instead. Those are the kinds of risks you take
when you’re a pantser, and although there’s a subset of pantsers who’s first
drafts are as good as those of the best plotters, that ability seems rarer
still. Going back to the chess player analogy, those few expert pantsers are the Grand
Masters of their craft.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only you know if you’re a plotter or a pantser, but either
way you need to get motivated and stay motivated to write a novel, the topic of
my post next time.</span></div>
Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-59734023094437990972019-11-24T03:55:00.001-08:002020-02-01T17:51:04.781-08:00An Audience for Einstein: From the Beginning<br />
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<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Transformation.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Metamorphosis.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Transmutation.<br /><br />All good words to describe what
happened to An Audience for Einstein over the many years I
contemplated, outlined, and finally wrote the book.<br /><br />I had the
title first. Not sure where it came from, back when I was all of
about eighteen. It was one of those spontaneous title ideas that suggest enormous possibilities, but actually gave me pause. I
mean, really, Einstein? Without giving anything away, Einstein is
mentioned several times in the book, but never makes an appearance.
But still, just evoking the name of one of the most influential
thinkers in the history of science gave me pause, made wonder f I
would ever be able to capture the lyrical, almost metaphysical mood
that the title suggested.<br /><br />The answer was no, initially, so I
wrote those two other books first. That’s how much the very idea of
the book scared me.<br /><br />Those first two novels weren’t meant to
be just learning experiences, however- I fully expected both to stand up on
their own two feet, sprout wings and soar. (The first will be re-engineered, and the second will be stripped down for parts, the
same way an auto mechanic makes use of a "parts car"- take
what’s good- a turn of a phrase here, a bit of description there- and scrap the rest.) But what I gained by writing those two novels
first prepared me to finally wrap my arms around all the myriad
elements of An Audience for Einstein.<br /><br />Like a high-rise, it has
many levels, each one with its own interesting characteristics and
purpose.<br /><br />That was a first for me. Those other novels were
ranch-style dwellings for my characters; sturdy if not spectacular,
serviceable but mundane. Nothing wrong at all with that; many
characters in decent novels live in simple story structures. But
multi-level living- where your characters not only live literal
lives, but represent something larger than themselves- gives
characters more headroom, more nooks and crannies to explore.<br /><br />And
An Audience for Einstein has plenty of nooks and crannies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Actually,
it’s when your characters become extended metaphors for something
larger than themselves that the roof is raised on your novel to make
room for them to exist on a higher plane as they go about their daily
business, sort of like having meaningful ghosts in the attic. This
kind of dual existence is found in books generally regarded as
literature, and is absent in works deemed "popular" or
"beach books" or whatever tag given to books meant
primarily to entertain. Usually these popular works have some
shocking or risque plot elements that garner great word-of-mouth-
that’s what sells them. Serious works, on the other hand, tend to
be original not by being spectacular or unusual, but sometimes quite
the opposite- by being eye-opening in how "ordinary" they
are.</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-top: 0.08in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A great novel from a few decades back illustrates this
point nicely- Ordinary People by Judith Guest. The title- I’m quite
sure- was not a fluke; this remarkable book makes a point of keeping
the reader grounded (and fully connected) with its characters by
making those character seem absolutely flesh-and-blood. Engaging your
readers by creating characters they can relate to- that they care
deeply about- trumps any out-of-this-world, can-you-believe-it plot,
any day of the year- at least as far as creating a lasting and
memorable book is concerned. That’s what I mean by
"ordinary."<br /><br />Here’s another example. Back in the
1920-30’s, there was a writer whose novel sold in the millions, at
a time when a million sold was really something. In his era he was
Steven King, Dean Koontz and John Grisham all rolled into one.<br /><br />His
name? Why, none other than S.S. Van Dine, of course.<br /><br />Who, you
say? Well, my point exactly. In fact, he was once quoted as saying
that "the plot’s the thing," so of course that was his
main focus. His novels had all the twists and turns of a first-class roller coaster, with developments so startling that readers would
actually sit up in bed in astonishment over something they never saw
coming. Yet for all that clever plotting, his characters were
gossamer, ephemeral and ultimately…forgettable, along with his
books.<br /><br />The long-term result of his philosophy of plot over
characters? A young writer who emerged at about the same time he did
soon eclipsed him, a writer who had a hunch that characters were the
main reason for writing a book. That writer’s fist novel, in fact,
didn’t have much of a "plot" at all- the characters just
sort of wandered around, drinking and fighting among themselves. And
in the end, they pretty much ended up right where they had started,
with nothing really new or changed. Not much of a plot at all.<br /><br />The
writer? Ernest Hemingway. The novel? The Sun Also Rises.<br /><br />And
oh, he paid close attention to language too, something else S.S. Van
Dine didn’t. Hemingway knew that how things were said was as important as what was said, having learned that from his pilgrimages to </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">27 rue de Fleurus in Paris, Gertrude Stein's salon. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-top: 0.08in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Obviously the
characters in Hemingway’s book represented Stein’s lost
generation, those young men and women who- after living through the
horrors of WW1- found life to be empty, devoid of any real meaning. Those
were his character’s "ghosts" on a higher plane, what
helped Hemingway capture his generation brilliantly. And not only did
readers respond, but Hemingway managed to alter the landscape of
American literature forever in the process.<br /><br />Needless to say,
with his emphasis strictly on plot, S.S. Van Dine did not.<br /><br />This
attention to characterization is what I was after in An Audience for
Einstein. I wanted ordinary characters in the sense that readers
would say "I know these people," characters who would
suggest plot twists and turns- not sit by meekly and have the plot
foisted upon them- characters whose lives spoke to universal themes
and issues and concerns.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-top: 0.08in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Writing those first two novels
prepared me to achieve that, and gave me the confidence to look at
all the notes and false starts I had written over the years to
finally sit down and write the book that had eluded me up until
then.<br /><br />Next installment: Are you a plotter or pantser?</span></span></div>
Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-79758618717792789602019-11-22T07:40:00.000-08:002020-02-01T17:51:39.488-08:00That D.O.A. Second Novel<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My award-winning published novel:</span><br />
<div class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/">http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">On
Amazon.com:</span><br />
<br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/">https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">My
second novel was written with the cold calculation of a banker tallying the
day’s deposits- with serious purpose, but little emotion other than a tinge of
hidden greed. I went through great lengths to make sure the plot was sound and
solid, with no voids or structural defects. The characters were similarly
drawn, their strengths and flaws well matched to what the plot demanded of
them. Every chapter carefully carried its own weight, each one spanning the
plot foundation in precise, measured fashion so the structure wouldn’t sag. And
in my desire to avoid the ridiculous length of my first novel, I deliberately
set a 60,000 word target with all the zeal of a missionary who’s convinced he
knows how many souls he has to save to ensure heaven for himself. This novel (I
was hoping) would hit it big, thanks to my meticulous preparation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">It
all came to nothing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">Perhaps
I secretly knew that could be the only result. My characters didn’t flinch,
didn’t say a single unnecessary word, didn’t ever do anything out of character or have even one original thought. I wouldn’t allow it. I was guilty of
character abuse in the third degree, providing them with just enough air to
speak but not enough to breathe. They were convincing automatons, but not
people- certainly not ones you would care to care about. Instead of flesh,
there was wax; instead of souls, there were springs. And so they smoothly went
through their mechanical motions in my mechanical plot, never doing anything
wrong in a way that would worry you eventually if you were a parent: damn it,
show some resentment, will you? You’re scaring me. Free yourselves from my
tyranny!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">So
what did I learn from this year-long writing exercise? Well, limits, for one
thing. There are limits on how controlling you can be towards your characters.
They do not respond well to overwhelming external forces; they become compliant
in a way real people don’t, spirits crushed and souls drained. What I learned
to cherish are those moments when characters bark back at marching orders that
are at odds with who they’ve become, fists displayed instead of salutes. Those
can be warning signs- ones I ignored in my first novel- but they can also be
the first signs of life, a time when you should leap up from your desk chair
and cry Eureka! because you just struck gold, my friend. Too much of that, of
course, and kiss goodbye your best-laid plans; your characters are going places
you probably don’t want to visit, as I discovered when I gave the characters in
my first novel free reign and they took things to extremes. Hijacked, and I was
to blame.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">Your
characters must be allowed to suggest some elements of your story, steer the
ship once in awhile or they’ll never come alive. Try to wind your story too
tight around them, and you’ll have what looks and sounds like genuine
characters, but are really just hollow puppets for your plot, soulless beings
going through the motions to satisfy their cruel creator. And your book will
suffer for the restraint, with opportunities lost and the cart (no matter how
brilliantly designed) before the more-important horse.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">Creating
characters is a balancing act you have to master, one that takes a firm hand
against outright mutiny while remaining open to reasonable suggestions your
characters might have. A well-crafted story is essential, of course, but
characters- it turns out- not only count, they count the most.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">Next
up: An Audience for Einstein: the early days</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></div>
Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-29629567348954991152019-11-20T05:47:00.000-08:002019-11-22T07:48:54.040-08:00That Bloated First Novel<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My
award-winning novel:</span><br />
<div class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/"><span style="font-size: medium;">http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/</span></a></span></div>
<div class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">
On Amazon.com:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/">https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Okay, from the
beginning then.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;">
<br />
My first novel topped out at over 250,000 words. That's not an
out-of-this-world number, but for an unknown novelist's first book, it's huge.
To my knowledge, unless you're already famous, publishers want reasonable for a
first book, not borderline gargantuan. The only genre I'm aware of where you
can "get away" with anything that lengthy right from the git-go is
Romance, particularly Historical Romance. This was not. And, not surprisingly,
most of the comments I received- as flattering as they were about the quality
of writing- said something like "length is a problem here." Unless
you've written a sure-fire blockbuster (or at least, a publisher thinks you
have) size does matter.<br />
<br />
So that's the lesson I've learned, and I'm passing it on to you.<br />
<br />
Now, as to what specifically pumped up the volume on that book. It all began
with my own self-doubt that I could ever write something long enough to be
officially classified a novel. I didn't want to write a novelette, or a
novella- I wanted to write a <em>novel.</em> So with only a vague idea for
a beginning, middle and end (which, admittedly, is more than some novelists
start with) I took every opportunity that presented itself to pad the book,
thinking (falsely) that I could "fix it" later if length turned out
not to be a worry.<br />
<br />
Little did I know how difficult it is to cut scenes, sections, and entire
chapters when <em>the writing itself is pretty good.</em> Up until then all
I had written were a few short stories, where the cuts were shallow and
relatively bloodless. But with this, once I began to rewrite, I fell victim to
a paralysis of sorts, a fear that the cuts would travel too deep, that I might
accidentally slice into the very soul of the book, sever an artery and leave it
for dead. And for the life of me I just couldn't tell where the blubber
stopped and the book's soul began. Nearly every hard-fought word seemed
positively essential.<br />
<br />
So, my answer to that was; take out only the most superficial. Instead of the
liposuction the manuscript needed, all it got was a nip and tuck before I sent
it on its merry way. It might have made <em>me</em> feel better but the patient
still had more than a few nagging problems.<br />
<br />
Part of it was that lack of confidence that drove me to force-feed the book in
the first place. And what an awful diet it was! People and places that were
meant to have only brief, supporting roles were described in loving detail.
Anything a character said that suggested an interesting digression by another
character was followed, a tortuous road that I (somehow) managed to eventually
turn back to the story at hand but only after too many words were spoken.
Whole chapters were devoted to the most minor of characters and some new
sub-sub-plot they inspired on the fly. If all this had been boring or poorly
done, it would have been easy to take an axe to it.<br />
<br />
The problem was, I made it all interesting.<br />
<br />
The problem is, interesting in itself does not automatically confer a good
story.<br />
<br />
I know there are writers with the opposite problem, who <em>do</em> write
a novelette when they wanted a novel. I have a few 50 page
"novels" of my own somewhere around here. What I think the problem
is with these "shorties" is that the story isn't hefty enough to
carry it far. Like expecting a bantamweight- no matter how good- to go the
distance against a heavyweight, it just ain't gonna happen. You can usually
sense that around page 40 or 45 or so. The foot speed is gone, the jabs not as
crisp, and before you know it your story's sitting in the corner, eyes glazed
and out of breath, unable to answer the bell for the next round.<br />
<br />
It's a pretty lousy feeling, especially after getting your hopes up. And
sometimes you just don't know if your story is the champion you thought you had
until you start to write it.<br />
<br />
At least those shorties don't consume years, like my first novel did.<br />
<br />
My bloated novel, on the other hand, had a story that lent itself quite well to
novel length. What I did was ruin it by not trusting or believing it. So now-
knowing better, and with a few more bouts under my belt- I'm about ready toss that novel
into the gym, where I'll get it in shape to be a contender. Now that the demarcation
between book soul and mere excess is clearer to me, that first novel still has a good chance of being a champion.</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;"><br />
Next time up: my second novel, that perfectly executed writing exercise that I was convinced had all the elements of a successful novel- only it didn't.</span></span></div>
Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2155920607188902266.post-86604593537015893262019-11-16T14:04:00.000-08:002019-11-22T07:48:20.144-08:00Who Is This Guy?<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My
award-winning novel:</span></span><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-top: 0.08in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<div align="LEFT" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #29303b; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #716e6c;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/">http://www.anaudienceforeinstein.com/</a> </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />On
Amazon.com:</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #24678d; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">https://www.amazon.com/Audience-Einstein-Mark-Wakely/dp/1951490045/</span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #29303b; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi.
I'm Mark Wakely. My first published novel, An Audience for Einstein,
was just reissued by DartFrog Books. It took over two years to
write- part time, of course. Before that, I wrote two others novels
that went nowhere, and want to start these entries by discussing
those early efforts since more than anything they make this blog
possible.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />My first novel was a bloated beast I undertook with
great trepidation. It became bloated because like many new authors
who have never attempted a novel, I wasn't sure I could go the
distance. Novels are really, really long, I knew; novels are complex
and convoluted; novels quite often defy completion, particularly when
written by nervous neophytes like me who wonder if they can even
imagine the finish line, much less cross it.<br /><br />To say I
underestimated myself would be an understatement.<br /><br />What I
discovered instead is that, given half a chance and a writer's
over-eagerness, just about any novel can mushroom to unhealthy
proportions with too many spontaneous sub-plots, tempting tangents
and minor characters who refuse to relinquish the stage. There were
times when I felt like a helpless observer as I wrote, the word count
racing upward to nose-bleed heights, the final chapter I had in mind
growing more and more dim and distant instead of brighter at the end
of the proverbial tunnel. When it finally (mercifully) did come to an
end, I felt wrung out, depleted and depressed. Fortunately, because I
write my first drafts with care the rewrites went much
faster, although the patient hardly lost any weight since I was still
overwhelmed by my towering creation and wasn't sure what to cut
exactly or even where to begin. So, all I could do is stoically
bundled it up and send that not-so-little piggy out to market to see
what "they" had to say about it.<br /><br />To my great
surprise I received some very kind words, if no publication
offers.<br /><br />Honestly, those kind words floored me. I had always
assumed I would bravely paper my walls with cold, impersonal
rejection slips so I could gaze at them smugly years later when I was
an enormous success. What I got instead were mainly typed or
handwritten notes telling me no thanks in either the most apologetic
way or the most encouraging, as in the totally unexpected "please
send us your next book."<br /><br />Up to that point, I wasn't sure
there would ever be a "next book."<br /><br />So, I came closer
than I thought I would with that one. Why? Because the two main
characters I had created were alive. It was their heartbeats I heard
then, and still hear, and which makes wading back into that quagmire
to rescue them worthwhile someday.<br /><br />And then there was a second
book.<br /><br />This time, I thought, I'll be smart. I'll be prepared.
I'll have this book in such a tight strangle hold it won't dare
expand without my explicit, written permission. I read all kinds of
"How To Write" books and magazines (more about them in
future entries) and wrote a detailed plot. (Oh hell, it was a
manifesto, that's what it was.) I even workshopped it (an experience
in itself; more about that later) as I methodically stamped out each
measured chapter. After all that planning and preparation the final
manuscript that emerged was almost an afterthought but I hit my goal
almost precisely: 60,000 words. Never mind that the characters were
D.O.A. or that the plot skeleton was not only showing, it was all
bleached bones; I had set a goal and reached it. I was finally a
disciplined writer who would never, ever again be dictated to by his
material.<br /><br />I sent the book out twice, got two printed rejection
slips without any kind words (which I did </span></span></span><span style="color: #29303b;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">not</span></span></span><span style="color: #29303b; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="color: #29303b; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">put
on my wall) and then filed the manuscript into the deepest, darkest
desk drawer I had, never to see the light of day again.<br /><br />But
wow, was I disciplined. As if that's all a writer needs to succeed.<br /><br />More next time about
my first try at being a novelist.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Mark Wakelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13008551985596488490noreply@blogger.com0